Toy



1. L. FRIEND.

TOY.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 30.1918.

Patented Aug. 10, 1920.

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I. L. FRIEND.

10v. APPLICATION FILED JULY 3011918.

Patented Aug. 10, 1920.'

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M A W/ [C v1 1 M Q mi Q J f 90$ H w y \m /R\ n Q M Q H m R Mn" @w w mm a i We/w zoo UNITED STATES JOHN LEWIS FRIEND, OF \VILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

TOY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented A11 10, 1920.

Application filed July 30,- 1918." SerialNo. 247,410.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN L. FRIEND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Toys, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to toys or game apparatus, the broad object of the invention being to provide a novel and attractive toy or game apparatus which may be used either for simulating the game 01": foot-ball or be used as a trap or target, in which latter case a movable sorin actuated and v a l I. tri er release fi ure or ob ect 15 arran ed so a: z: to be struck by a pro ectile actuated by a pro ectile throwing member, the latter being adapted to be manipulated in different ways by the person playing the game, so

that the skill of a person is brought intov use in making a score or total number. of points.

ith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as herein described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, 7

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the complete device. i

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the head frame, showing the spring actuated .figure or object.

Flg. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fi e 1s a detail ers aective view show- I b u 0 ing modification of the manner of connectmg the pro ectile actuating member to and disconnecting the same from the base.

The toy or game apparatus contemplated in this invention comprises a base 1 constructed of any suitable material, suchas wood or metal and of'any desired dimensions, the same being blocked off by lines 2 to represent a foot-ball field or grid. The base 1 may be formed with one or mor pockets 3 to hold a correspondin number of balls 4 or other projectiles.

Rising from one end of the'base 1 is a head piece 5 having a central opening or gate way (3 adjacent to the bottom thereof and having a plurality of relatively high openings 7 which may be numbered as shown, said openings being adapted to have the balls projecting therethrough by a suitable actuating member to be hereinafter described. Different numbers are given to the elevated openings so that a different numberot score points will be counted according to the opening through which the ball or other projectile is thrown.

Arranged at the opposite end of the base or field is a projectile actuating member 8 shown in the form of a human figure, preferably finished to represent a foot-ball player. This figure has one of the legs 9 thereof fiexibly and resiliently connected to the body by a spring 10, enabling the leg to be drawn backwardly after placing a ball on the field or base, the foot of the leg being arranged to contact with said ball when, after the leg has been drawn backwardly, it is released and thrown quickly forward by said spring, hurling or throwing the ball toward the head piece 5. One of the elevated openings may represent, for example, a touch down or goal, another opening may represent a touch down and no goal, while another opening may represent a goal kicked from the field.

In conjunction with the lower opening 6 in the head piece 5', I employ an angle shaped trigger 11 having a lower or inclined portion 12 extending across the back or" the opening 6 so as to be struck by a projectile hurled through said opening. The trigger also comprises an upwardly extending portion 13 having a rearwardly projecting catch lip M which is adapted to engage a shoulder or notch 15 in the base portion or traveler 16 of a vertically movable spring actuated object 17, such as a head or, figure, as shown in the drawings. Elastic means, such as straps 18 are connected at their lower ends to the traveler l6 and at their upper ends to a rectangular guide frame 19 at the back of the bean piece so that when the trigger is struck by a ball and thrown to releasing position, the traveler 16 is quickly moved upwardly, so as to expose the object or figurel? above the top of the head piece 5. The figure 17 is restored to its concealing position behind the head piece 5 by pressing the same downwardly until the trigger engages th shoulder or the notch 15 of the traveler 16.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will now be seen that the device ma be either used for playing a parlor game of foot-ball or for target practice, skill being required in either case to attain the greatest count or score, the direction taken aft movement has a pivotal connection at 20 with the body of said figure or projectile actuating member. to be actuated at dilferentangles or in other words, more or less to the right or left and by skilful placing of the ball and greater or less fiexureof the spring actuated leg, the ball may be caused to take a greater or less upward angle as it is projected toward the head piece Theprojectile actuating member or figure is provided with a base or anchoring plate 21 and the base or field l is provided with guiding and retaining flanges 22 beneath which the anchoring plate 21' is slidable, en-

abling the projectile actuating member to be.

detachably fastened to the base. The head piece 5 is also detachably connected to the base or field l by dowel pins or studs 23 or the like. The last named feature allows the head piece to be detached from the base 1 and laid thereon. This enables the whole apparatus to be compactly stored and shipped.

In Fig. 4: is shown a means of connecting the projectile actuating member to a wooden base or field. In this form the base or field is provided with an opening 24: of a similar conformation as that of the base 25 of the projectile actuating member, the said base 25 being provided with an opening 26 adapted to register with openings 27 and 28 leading to and from the opening 24 in the base or field. A pin 29 passed through the openings 26, 27 and 28 serves to hold the projectile actuating member to the base or field.

In the space in which the vertically slidable-object 17 is movable, I arrange guiding strips 30 extending vertically on opposite sides of the trigger 11, the upper portions 31 of said strips diverging upwardly as shown in Fig. 8. The lower inclined portion of the trigger deflects the projectile upwardly between the front and rear walls of the head piece 5 and the strips 31, 32, guide the return movement of the projectile and insure its passage through the lower opening 6.

I clalm: I 1. In game apparatus, the combination of This enables the balladapted to be thrown by said projectile actuating member, the latter consisting of a figure having a leg, and a leaf-spring terminally fastened at one end to the figure and at its other end to said leg and forming the sole connection between said leg and figure.

2. In game apparatus, the combination of a base representing a field and having an opening therein, a head piece rising from one end of the base and formed with a plurality of openings therethrough, a projectile actuating member arranged at the opposite end of the base and adapted by manual manipulation to hurl a projectile toward said head piece, a free projectile adapted to be thrown by said projectile actuating mem ber, the latter consisting of a figure having a resiliently mounted leg, said figure having a base to fit said opening in the field forming base, and means for preventing said figure base from turning.

3. In game apparatus, the combination of a base representing a field, a head piece rising from one 'end of the base and formed with a plurality of openings therethrough, a projectile actuating member arranged at the opposite end of the base and adapted by manual manipulation to hurl a projectile toward said head piece, a free projectile adapted to be thrown by said projectile actuating member, a vertically slidable object mounted behind and concealed by said head piece, means for thrusting the last named object upwardly to expose the same, a holding and releasing trigger for said object ar ranged behind one of said openings in the head piece and adapted to be struck by said projectile, said trigger being pivotally mounted between .its upper and lower ends to swing on a horizontal axis, and guiding strips for directing the return movement of the projectile arranged at opposite sides of the trigger in vertical formation and having their upper portions inclined and upwardly 

